Surface Modification of Rubber by Fluorine Gas Treatment

Since 2000, our company has been actively engaged in the development of new applications for fluorine gas, with a particular emphasis on surface treatment technologies. In this report, we describe the surface modification of rubber through F2 gas treatment. The treated rubber surfaces were characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy, surface roughness measurements, dynamic friction coefficient evaluation, and adhesion force testing. FT-IR analysis confirmed the fluorination of the rubber surface. In addition, the F2 treatment enabled controlled surface roughening. Adhesion testing revealed that tackiness was reduced by more than 99% compared to untreated samples, and the dynamic friction coefficient decreased by approximately 60–80%. These findings indicate that rubber surfaces treated with F2 gas exhibit distinctive properties not attainable through conventional surface treatment or modification methods.